Adrienne Danrich and Mila Henry - The Weary Blues: Drew Hemenger Songs (2023) [Hi-Res]

The Weary Blues is an exciting new recording of songs, resulting from a long and wonderful collaboration between American composer Drew Hemenger and African-American operatic soprano Adrienne Danrich. The two have been collaborating as artists and friends for more than a decade, and the artistic synergy between them shines through in Adrienne’s shimmering and empathic performances of Drew’s eclectic and melodic compositions. Their collaboration started with a set of songs on Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes, all of which are included here, along with a gripping and sometimes harrowing song cycle, “Which Way Home?” based on the poems of Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet, Anne Sexton.

Adrienne is joined in the recording by Mila Henry, an award-winning pianist, conductor and music director, as well as Grammy Award-winning violinist Charles Yang and operatic baritone Eric McKeever.

In addition to Hughes and Sexton, a few other gems appear, such as “Her Final Show” on doctor/poet Rafael Campo’s poem, written for the AIDS Quilt Songbook at 20, and “Breaking Bread,” Hemenger’s jazzy arrangement of the traditional Negro spiritual, “Let Us Break Bread Together.”

Adrienne Danrich – Soprano
Eric McKeever – Baritone
Mila Henry – Piano
Charles Yang – Violin